Who loves strangers?
by Aladriel
Summary: AU.Who loves strangers in Winhill?


Who loves strangers?  
  
Somebody had knocked on Zell Dinchts door for the past 5 minutes and finally it was almost impossible to ignore it.With a grunt he stood up and went to open the door.And there stood a girl dressed in nothing but black,holding a black umbrella to protect herself from the rain.Zell narrowed his eyes at the girl.One did not see strangers in Winhill often and they weren't exactly loved here.  
  
"Well?"spoke the girl.  
  
"Well what?"he asked obviously irritated.  
  
"Well I was thinking that maybe I could come in.It's not really nice to stand here you know,or what do you think?"asked the girl smiling.  
  
"I suppose so," was the answer and Zell stepped aside to let the girl in and also the cold rain.Zell did what he could to close the door as quickly as possible.  
  
"You aren't exactly the politest person I've met,"said the girl smiling.  
  
"Well so aren't you," meaning that Zell hadn't gotten a 'Hi,I'm Tanja,Linda or whatever' or 'Hi,nice to meet you'.The girl smiled.  
  
"I think we're going to get a long just fine and Hi,I'm Rinoa,nice to meet you," she said,holding out her hand.Zell took her wet hand and shook it.They both stood in silence,until the one named Rinoa sat down.  
  
"I'll only be staying here for one night,after that I'll find another place to stay.This place sure seems to be nice," the girl said and poured herself some water.Zell just stared at her,this girl had some nerves.She wasn't exactly Ms.Polite herself.She had just taken his glass nad poured herself his water and what she thinks she can stay here just like that?Well,he couldn't tell her to get out,he wasn't that hartless.He opened his mouth to protest when Rinoa stood up and got herself some bread,but it looked like the girl didn't even care.  
  
"Ah I'm sorry,I know you must think I'm the rudest person ever,but I'm just so hungry.I am truly sorry for barging in on a night like this,asking..well not asking,demanding for a place to stay.Well not demanding,but just saying I'll stay here and eat your food,uh...,"the girl looked at her helplessly and smiled a weak smile.Zell frowned.How could you be mad at someone like her.She was so sweet with her chocolate brown eyes and angelic face and she wasn't that rude after all.Maybe she had had a hard life,maybe she was like an orphan,who ran away from her evil stepmother.Zell shook his head.His imagination had gotten the best of him again.  
  
"So,why are you here?"he said sitting down.The girl stopped eating her bread and swallowed.  
  
"I'd rather not talk about it.Sorry.Look,I just need one night to stay at your place,that's all I ask and I'll pay you back once I get a job here."  
  
"You want to start living here?" he asked with a surprise.  
  
"Yes,it seems like a nice place,as I said."  
  
"Well,I'm warning you,it ain't as nice as you think it is."  
  
"How spooky," said the girl jokingly.  
  
Zell just glared at her and got up.  
  
"Well I'm going to bed now.I have only one bed,so you have to sleep on the floor.I'll give you some blankets and a pillow.That's all I've got,sorry."  
  
"It's allright,really."  
  
After a hassle with getting the girl an extra pillow and some blankets,Zell was finally ready to go to sleep.He prayed the girl wasn't a snoring one and put out the lights.  
  
"Good night Zelly,"he heard her say.  
  
"Good night,"he mumbled back.  
  
--  
  
It seemed to Zell that with the first rays of sun the girl was already up and he was half right.It was 6:30.Way too early for a man like Zell to get up,but Rinoa was already making breakfast.With a bright smile she arrived on his bedroom door,a frying pan in one hand and two eggs in another.  
  
"You want scrambled eggs or omlette?"  
  
"Uh..well ..an omlette sounds good."  
  
"Aww,I was hoping you'd say scrambled eggs."  
  
"Well scrambled eggs is fine too," he said and pulled a blanket over his head.How he hated his curtains for letting in that damned sun.Unfortunatley the food smell was too much to bare for Zell so in 15 minutes he was up and ready to eat,already waiting at the table for some orange juice.After 2 glasses of orange juice and scrambled eggs Zell finally got a chance to talk.  
  
"You know Rinoa,I was thinking.You can stay at my place if you want.Uh..I mean,there isn't a really nice place here to stay at.Well there's the Lily motel,owned by Squall,but I don't think you'd like him and well his rooms cost a lot and I could just get an extra bed from Quisty you know,she has a sister,but she's away right now,so we could just get her bed.I think it's not small for you and yeah you're a nice person and you can always move out later when you've settled down and found a job."After saying all that with unhumanly speed and blushing like a tomato,Zell wished the grounds would open up and swallow him.  
  
"Of course I'd love to Zell,I was hoping you'd ask"  
  
"You were??"  
  
"Haha,yes.I don't have money to pay for a room," she said with a sad look.  
  
"Ahh,it's ok,I'm sure Quistis will take you into her flower shop.She always need an extra pair of hands for help or Selphie would love to have you helping at her shop."  
  
"Wonderful,maybe you could introduce me to them later??I suppose they're your friends,right?"  
  
Zell scratched his head.As much as he liked this girl,he wasn't sure the other village people would.Sure Selphie wouldn't have a problem,maybe Quistis would,but Squall would treat her badly.He didn't like strangers at all.Well there wouldn't be any problem with Irvine since he liked everybody,especially girls.Maybe it was best not to introduce Rinoa to Irvine.But then again,didn't he have a thing for Selphie??  
  
She was too happy and different to be liked by the Winhill people.Despite the huge amount of sun that Winhill got and all the pretty flowers and nature,Winhill wasn't a very friendly place,like one would think from the way it looked.Screw that,they'll just have to get used to Rinoa.He wasn't so fond of strangers either,but he liked her.Everything will go well Zell assured himself.  
  
"Yes,yes..sure I will,but I'm warning you,not all of them are nice."  
  
"Aww come one,they must be,you're nice,now aren't you?"  
  
Zell blushed,this girl was too kind after all.  
  
After breakfast it was only 7 am.People in Winhill started getting up now.  
  
"We'll go see my friends somewhere by noon."  
  
"Ok.Zell,what do you do?"  
  
"What do you mean,as my job?"The girl nodded.  
  
"I work at Squall's motel.I'm a bartender there,which reminds me,I have to get going soon.My work starts at 9.So only about 1 hour and 50 minutes to wait,since it takes 10 minutes for me to walk and to think I could've just slept til 8.  
  
"I'm sorry Zell,I'm used to getting up early."  
  
"It's ok."  
  
Time went by fast,especially if you were talking to a girl like Rinoa.He couldn't get to know anything else about her,besides the fact that she was just 20 years old and came here from Dollet.She refused to tell more about her life.Zell didn't complain,he wasn't that interested anyways and he hated when people started babbling about their life story.When it was time for him to go,Rinoa got up too.  
  
"Where do you think you're going?"he asked?  
  
"I'm coming with you."  
  
"But why?"  
  
"Because..I just want to."  
  
Zell knew there was no point in arguing with her.  
  
"Fine," he said and opened his wooden door.Together,like two little characters from a fairy tale,they set their way towards Squall's motel.It was a beautiful house,Rinoa thought,with white lilys on both sides of the entrance.  
  
"Ya,those are Quisty's flowers.Squall loves lilys,Raine did too."  
  
"Who's Raine?"  
  
"That's Squall's mom.She's dead now,was a wonderful woman though."  
  
Rinoa thought it was best to stay silent and followed Zell through the door.The room was quite dim and there were lilys on every table.Wow,this guy must really like lilys.She liked how it smelled,likey honey and..lilys.Everything looked so old,but beautiful.  
  
"So this is were I work.This here is the bar.The motel rooms are in the next house."  
  
"Looks really wonderful."  
  
"Yep it sure does.I'm working til noon.Then we have free time to see my friends,but I guess you'll see Squall sooner."  
  
And Zell was right,like they say,speak of the devil.A not so tall man,with silky chocolate hair,that made you want to run your hands through it,and stormy blue eyes entered the room.He was dressed in black and certainly didn't give off a very friendly vibe.Rinoa shuddered,as handsome as this guy looked,he sure as hell didn't seem to a nice person to cross your ways in a dark alley.  
  
"Good morning Zell,"said the one named Squall."And who might this little," he was searching for a right word and Rinoa hoped he wouldn't say anything too mean,"..lady is?" Ah,so he was at least somewhat polite.  
  
"Oh,this is Rinoa.."  
  
"Just Rinoa?"  
  
"Heartilly.Rinoa Heartilly," said Rinoa and offered her petite pale hand.Squall looked at it,but didn't shake it.  
  
"Very well,nice to meet you Ms.Heartilly and what brings you to our nice little village,if I may ask?"Squall smirked and Rinoa narrowed her eyes at him.  
  
"Well Mr.Leonhart,I plan to settle down here and Zell was so kind and offered to host me til I get a job and find my own place.I'll be assisting him today,if you don't mind."  
  
"Aha,I see you've informed her well Zell.Stay if you want,but don't break anything."  
  
"Oh I won't,Mr.Leonhart,"she said with a mocking tone.  
  
"Whatever.I'm going to get new lilys from Quistis.I'll see you at 12."  
  
"Sure thing Squall."  
  
When Squall had left,Rinoa let out a deep breath.  
  
"Is he always that serious."  
  
"Always."  
  
"Always?"  
  
"Yes always,"he said with a hint of irritation in his voice.  
  
"Ok."  
  
The rest of the 3 hours they worked in silence.Rinoa reading a book she had brought with her and Zell polishing glasses that didn't need to be polished.  
  
--  
  
As Squall walked down the crooked road which lead to Quistis flower shop,he started thinking about that Heartilly girl.Sure,she was indeed beautiful,silky black hair,brown eyes,soft skin.But when has anyone seen beauty and brains,and she didn't seem to have much.Too cheerful,too happy,she seemed.Sure,there was Quistis.Squall thought her to be very beautiful and smart and he enjoyed his little lily trips to her shop,but that's all he ever thought of her.Squall had never loved a girl and he was just doing fine.He didn't need a girl.He had a dog.And well he had friends.He didn't admit to them that he liked their company,but he enjoyed it,in small doses of course and when they didn't ask too many questions.He remembered being cheerful and happy once,but that was when Raine had lived and he was just a kid.Happy..like that Rinoa.Squall felt like he should hit his head against something to get that girl out of his mind and her eyes.Well as you all know,when you're deep in your thoughts you seem to get to your destination faster than when you're not doing any heavy thinking and Squall was just in front of Quistis' Fleurs shop.He opened the door and the little golden bell made a small 'ding.'Quistis' blonde head appeared from under the table,with some grass stains on her face,she narrowed her eyes like a cat and her blue eyes twinkled.  
  
"Oh,hey Squall.Coming to get your lilys?"  
  
Squall nodded and continued staring at Quistis,obviously she noticed and blushed.She started wiping away her grass stains,only making them worse.Her gloves were all muddy.  
  
"I was just planting some flowers,were getting more flower pots right now," she said,getting up with a goofy smile and holding some brown pots in her hand.  
  
"I see,well.."  
  
"Ah yes,come this way,I have them in the back room."Squall followed her to the room and was hit with a mixed smell of tulips,lilys,daffodils,roses and some other flowers which he didn't recognise.The smell was good,but made his head spin.Quistis always smelled of lilys and roses.Must be because she spends so much time with flowers,Squall thought.  
  
"Here they are,you wanted 8 dozens right?"  
  
"Mhmh,"he said picking up the lilys.  
  
"Careful not to ruin your shirt," she said smiling.Together they made their way back to the front room.  
  
"I'll pay you later,ok?I don't have money with me right now."  
  
"Sure,sure,it's ok."  
  
Squall nodded his head like a programmed machine and made made his way out of the shop.Carefully,not trying to hit any flowers,and yelling a 'Bye Quisty' from the big amount of lilys.  
  
"Bye oh and see you at 12,right?"Quistis didn't hear an answer,but she knew what it would've been.She sighed.He had liked Squall for a long time,but she didn't have the courage to do anything about it.Sometimes it seemed to her as if he liked her too,but she was never too sure.So they continued their little lily sessions,with little smiles and hints,but never doing anything more.There was this one time,when at Valentine's Day Squall gave her a red rose and peck,but that was back when Raine had lived,3 years ago.It wasn't that long ago,but that time had changed Squall drastically.With a smile,she went back to her planting job,noticing from a mirror that her face was covered with mud and grass stains.  
  
--  
  
Ah,so the first chapter.I don't exactly know what will happen to this story.A Quists/Squall,Squall/Rinoa?? 


End file.
